A DISUSED Marshside industrial site governed by strict ecological guidelines is a playground for motor sports.

The derelict Rainford’s sand winning plant – frequented annually by thousands of birds which flock to the Ribble estuary – is also a hang-out for youths smoking cannabis, bird watchers claim.

A rare migrant Temminck’s Stint – which yesterday joined a “red list” of the UK's most threatened bird species – was scared off by a trial bike moments after landing from an exhausting flight from Africa.

Over the bank holiday weekend, a Visiter reader filmed trial bikers fall on the hazardous terrain while youths loitered within the site – dubbed a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Bird watcher Simon Glinn counted 13 different people – including youngsters supervised by parents – using the industrial site for motor sports on Monday.

He claims to have seen teenagers smoking drugs there as well as residents fly-tipping rubbish, including a television and a fridge.

The Melling Road resident said: “This sand plant is right in the middle of what is regarded to be one of the finest reserves in the North West. It is the jewel in Sefton’s crown.

“Tens of thousands of people descend on Marshside each year to watch birds on the estuary. Is fly-tipping, drug use and motorsports exactly what we want in a special protection area?

“I recently witnessed a parent and their small daughter, probably three years old, descend one of the banks and a large slab on concrete became unstable and slip.

“It just missed the child but it could have been fatal.

“There is bagged and unbagged dog faeces around the site and a vast build-up of fast food litter. It’s frankly disgusting.”

Site owner WM Rainford Ltd is in the process of restoring the sand plant to its natural state following its closure in 2006. As remedial work has stalled the terrain has become a popular base for motor sport activity.

Regarding the rare Temminck’s Stint, Mr Glinn said: “The bird was undoubtedly exhausted by its flight from Africa and in much need of rest and feeding.

“It is not the kind of bird you see at Marshside frequently and it would have been nice if bird watchers could have seen it.”

WM Rainford’s declined to comment when approached by the Visiter but the RSPB revealed it was conducting investigations to determine the extent of the problem.

Merseyside Police has dispersed youths off the privately-owned site, which has no security measures in place to stop people from entering.

A spokesman said: “We are aware there’s been some issues of anti-social behaviour at the sand plant. We would welcome any reports of further incidents and further information on the people responsible.”

A spokesman for Sefton Council added: “The site is currently the responsibility of Rainford’s but we will raise these issues with them.”